The present invention relates generally to key and lock devices, and more specifically to electromechanical key and lock devices and lock systems comprising such devices.
It is previously known a variety of lock devices that use electronic devices for increasing the security of the lock and for providing effective administration, management, and control of keys and personnel. However, these devices have had the inherent drawback of either being wired with accompanying high installation costs or stand alone devices requiring significant individual efforts to change or extend the system with keys and/or locks.
Another drawback of prior art lock systems is that they are difficult to create and adapt to the specific requirements of a customer.
The US patent document U.S. Pat. No. 4,887,292 (Barrett et al.) discloses an electronic lock system provided with a xe2x80x9clockout listxe2x80x9d that identifies keys that are to be prevented from opening system locks. This system is adapted to be used with real estate lockboxes used in the real estate industry to contain the keys of houses listed for sale. The inflexibility of the disclosed system results in it not addressing the above mentioned problems of prior art key and lock systems.
An object of the present invention is to provide for easy adding or deleting of authorization of access to the operation of a lock by the key.
Another object is to provide an electromechanical key and lock device of the kind initially mentioned wherein the distribution and assignment of keys are more secure than in known lock systems.
Another object is to provide a lock system with a high level of key control and wherein no keys can be added without the knowledge of the system owner.
Another object is to provide a lock system with a high level of authorization control.
Another object is to provide a lock system that is easy to create and service.
Yet another object is to provide a key and lock device wherein the assignment of keys is facilitated.
The invention is based on the realization that certain information elements or items of an electronic key code will provide for a simple and yet secure distribution and assignment of keys in a master key system.
According to the invention, there is also provided a method of updating authorization information of a lock device of a lock system.
A key and lock device and a lock system according to the invention addresses the above mentioned problems and drawbacks of prior art devices. By providing a group concept together with lists indicating authorized and non-authorized devices easy adding and deleting of keys and locks is made possible while a high level of security is maintained. In a non-wired system, the group concept makes it possible to add new keys to the system without having to access or alter existing locks.